The story of Tessa and Rebecca. Both women have their own secrets and something to hide. After moving to a small rental house by a lake with her two children, Tessa meets wealthy Rachel who is living next door in a very large house with her husband and her three children. Glamourous Rachel is determined to invite Tessa into her life but when Rachel’s dangerous secret puts hers and Tessa’s family at risk she has no choice but to leave her children…and Tessa is the only person she can trust. Tessa suddenly finds herself with a life that she has only dreamed off.

My second book by this author, but I have seen the other books that she has written. Some of her other books are quite light-hearted and romantic – a complete opposite to this one. This is a highly emotional and suspenseful book which left me in tears in some parts and biting my nails in others! The two women couldn’t be more different and I love the characters of both of them in their own different ways. I did, at times though, find that I liked them and hated them all in one go!! You are drawn into their story right from the beginning of the book and it keeps you gripped till the very end.

It is one emotional rollercoaster of a story with twists and turns aplenty. I loved the premise that Tessa wanted Rebecca’s life as she thought money, glamour and big houses meant that that life is much better than hers, but ultimately both women were shown that the grass isn’t necessarily greener! This is definitely a book which gets your heart beating faster because of so many different things - would certainly recommend!

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Secrets We Keep’ by Kate Hewitt in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Tessa takes her children Katherine and Ben to Pine Cottage in the wilds of upstate New York for three months in the summer to escape from her normal life and have a break from her husband Kyle. Soon after getting there they meet their glamorous neighbour, Rebecca, and her children Charlotte, Zoe and Max. Tessa is mesmerised by Rebecca’s life and self-assurance although she feels Rebecca is not all she appears to be. As the two women become closer Tessa is asked a favour which she finds it impossible to decline and which changes their lives forever.
‘The Secrets We Keep’ tells of two women who meet by chance, both having awful memories they don’t want to remember let alone speak about, and as soon as I started reading I became engrossed in the two women’s very different lives. It’s a wonderful story that’s been written with sensitivity and compassion, that tugs at the heartstrings and makes it impossible to put down. The final chapters are so emotional I finished reading with a lump in my throat and tears streaming down my face. Kate Hewitt has written yet another beautiful novel that’ll be hard to forget and I can highly recommended.

Thank you to the author Kate Hewitt and net galley for the arc of The Secrets We Keep.
This was a book of intense emotions that left me reeling at the end with tears in my eyes.
Both Tessa and Rebecca have their own demons that they are fighting and come from polar opposite lifestyles. But, as the author very cleverly displayed, it doesn't matter where we start from or how much money we do or don't have we all are human and have issues that money is not a part of.
Both women can't see at the start that they are ultimately the same. One feels inferior and one feels they have the upper hand. They both use their tentative friendship for their own gains but I felt drawn to both and the pain they were both experiencing.
A very moving book that has excellent prose that draws the reader into the journey.

A great summer read for fans of gripping stories that have you turning and turning the pages. Wasn't sure at first, but soon got into it. A twisty read, with an ending that knocks the wind from you.

Thank you for my advanced copy

Holy heck!!! Kate Hewitt brought her A-game with this must read!

The Secrets We Keep centers around two women who befriend each other- both from different worlds, both getting away to a cozy beach town for the summer with their children and both will forever be change before summer’s end.

This novel is full of depth and emotions! I was completely entranced by this well thought out storyline! There were so many well-timed twists and turns and just when I thought I couldn’t be surprised anymore, there was another bomb waiting to drop!! The Secrets We Keep is a complete 5 star novel that will most certainly “wow” you! I can’t wait to get my hands on Kate Hewitt next book!

Alright-I am definitely not as good of a person as Tessa, because right now I am blaming Rebecca. I am so angry, and sad, and just UGHHHH! Now that I have gotten my feelings out about the end of the book...onto the rest of my review:

Everything about this friendship seemed doomed from the start. The forcing of the children to be friends, the constant money being spent on Tessa, and Rebecca's spiral out of control. From the beginning I saw it going nowhere good. I had high hopes as the book went on and it felt like they really could help each other be better, get better, be happier. I thought the dive into Rebecca's illness and the reasons behind it were very well done, as was the guilt/ease in which Tessa took over her role in Rebecca's family. Overall I felt for both of these women, they both dealt with horrible life experiences that they eventually had to face. One thing that struck me was WTH was with their husbands? Having them take a 3 month trip with their families and when asked to come visit continually say oh I cant make it this weekend? They were both so worried about their wives mental health that they sent them off to the lake for the summer by themselves with all the kids and spent their summer just enjoying themselves? That part really bothered me. Eventually you get a better understanding of why the women were where they were, but I just felt like the men really took the easy way out by just sending their wives off.

A must read... what an excellent book... I went on a journey with Tessa Rebecca and the kids...laughed and cried.... love a book that sucks me in and this one definately does that!

I received this book "The Secrets We Keep" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.
Is the grass greener on the other side? Maybe for a brief time but you know how your life was meant to be. Yes you can make change to make your life better but you really can't live someone else's life. You don't know what people are going through - you think they have the "perfect" life but everyone has things that don't want people to know. Two moms from different backgrounds dealing with their troubles alone, hidden deep inside themselves. I thought the end was a bit rushed but overall a good book.

I really enjoyed this book and the secrets from both families who have holiday homes next to each other just escalates over the summer. I was in tears at the end of the story. It was very well written, and I was hooked on this book and was keen to finish it to see how it all ended. I can see this being made into a film.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Very very good book,excellent.i could identify with both of the main lady characters.the grass is always greener on the other side.just shows no one ever knows what someone else is going through,a couple of twists and turns,five star read I couldn’t put it down .

A really enjoyable novel Tessa and Rebecca who are both emotionally scarred meet up one summer and become friends but they are both fragile and what transpires between them and their families leads to terrible tragedy they have to come to terms with themselves before they can start to heal a bitter sweet novel well-written and very readable

I wrote a review on GoodReads and the author liked it!😀 I really identified with the two main characters, even though I am a little older. I cried so much during this book. It was a really fast read for me because I couldn't put it down.

Tessa and Rebecca had never met before that fateful lakeside summer holiday. They were both there with their children and they were both jaded and ‘broken’, definitely in need of respite and thinking time. Tessa arrived at her summer rental with her young quiet daughter and her boisterous son. Rebecca was already there with her two daughters and young son. Their properties couldn’t have been more different. Tessa’s was small and modest whilst Rebecca’s was opulent and commanding. Their rentals were neighbouring properties and they were both holidaying without their husbands; there for the entire summer. Once they had introduced themselves and with children of a similar age it was the most natural thing in the world that they should all become friends. The adults would be company for each other and their children would form holiday friendships.
So they teamed up and relaxed together whilst their children played or had swimming and tennis lessons. They hired a babysitter so that they could go out together. They went on an indulgent spa day and later on they went shopping for makeover clothes. Some days they chatted over cocktails whilst their children had their activities. They even went to a party at the resort clubhouse. Soon the children became firm friends, although they were all vastly different; actually the polar opposites of each other. This was the life Rebecca and her family were used to. Money was no object for her. They were wealthy socialites back home, but this new life charmed Tessa and she absolutely loved it and thrived on it, with Rebecca insisting on picking up most of the bills. As the summer sun shone down on them the holiday passed by until one day there was not only one terrible accident, but two. The laughter turned to tears and the happiness to sorrow. One mother paid the ultimate price, she would return home depleted of one of her children and both families would be haunted forever by that day, the family’s friendships being the catalyst that sets the clock ticking in a countdown to disaster.
I was totally immersed in this beautifully told story and felt really sad by the time I reached the end. I wanted more as I had enjoyed it so much. I loved the storyline in all its complexities and thrills and spills. I thought the characters were all true to life in their diversity and carefully planned development. I felt that I was a spectator within the story. I knew both families were struggling because both husbands and father’s never found the time to visit their families but I was totally unprepared for the ‘Why?’ revelation. The story was uniquely wonderful and I couldn’t put the book down so great was my need to continue the story’s journey. I loved every single page of it.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. This novel is an excellent read and will keep you turning the pages, wondering what will happen next. It’s a very well deserved 9.5/10 review from me.

The end of this book was a total gut punch, and while I am not one to judge how an author chooses to end their novel, it felt unnecessary and completely out of nowhere.

Lots of repetition throughout the book too, and a lot of characters I didn't care much about.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story proves  "The grass ISNT  Greener on the other side" , a story of survival of two moms seeking  a different life  away from back home. Their young children just as lost, and the difference between riches and poverty , one woman is the anchor for  the other and her family.
I found myself blaming their husbands for lack of support to each one,when they had their emotional secrets  that brought them to escape to the lake for the summer. 
One woman buying companionship with her money  in midst of her  deep closet secrets, and the other woman thinking this prosperous rich life can bring happiness...or temporary anyway.
Its an entertaining at times, and suspenseful  family drama story that  I couldnt put down,and a surprising heartbreaking twist.
I didnt expect the ending this way but it was the climax last chapters that hold your attention to the very end.  
A Netgalley ebook I received and will look for more books by Kate Hewitt.

The Secrets We Keep is a highly recommended read I could not put my kindle down, I just had to find out what happens next, straight away I was drawn in by the characters Tessa and Rebecca who are joined together during a summer holiday each with hidden problems of their own, I enjoyed every minute of this book.

Wow! This book really kept me on my toes. There are a lot of twists and turns that I was not expecting and at times was emotionally draining. This book definitely kept my attention and I completed reading it within 24 hrs, I couldn't put it down. The book shows that it isn't always greener on the other side, everyone has their own struggles, even if you can't see them, I think there were a lot of heavy parts that were shared in the last couple of chapters that I wish we would have learned more about and shown how they were eventually resolved. I highly recommend this book, but prepare yourself for the emotional roller coaster!

THE SECRETS WE KEEP By Kate Hewitt, is a story about friendship, hope, and how we can help each other get through the tough times in our lives. I have to be honest and say that when I read the blurb about this book, I thought it had more to do. With a thriller/mystery. I have never read anything by Hewitt before and this story captivated me from the start. Kate’s character was one that we could all admire and be like in our everyday lives. Rebecca’s was the same except she seemed a little needy at first. But who has never been needy even for just a few minutes. I cried while reading this book and did not want it to end. It’s emotionally charged and can teach us the value of a great friendship and how we should not second guess ourselves as parents or friends. I love, love, love this book and hope to read more by this author.


Thank you so much to netgalley as ell as the author/publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

5 beautiful ⭐️ out of 5

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book!
This is the first book I have read by Kate Hewitt, and it was a beautifully written story.
This book was about two completely different woman, living very different lives. They develop a strong friendship over a summer and in the end realize that if you take away money and success we are all the same....
I loved this book!

The Secrets We Keep is an absolutely, heart wrenchingly, emotional book. I was drawn into the lives of Tessa and Rebecca immediately as they relay their emotional and parenting struggles. Which mother among us has never questioned our own parenting abilities? Especially if we are dealing with the pain of our own secrets.. Fortunately, the book ends on a note of hope and grace, as the characters experience emotional growth. Be warned, you will shed tears!